Aloha!
As defined by the Institute of Medicine, the discipline
of global health encompasses “health problems,
issues and concerns that transcend national boundaries,
which may be influenced by circumstances or experiences
in other countries, and which are best addressed by
cooperative actions and solutions”. Global health
professionals are concerned with developing theories
and methods to understand the roots of economic, environmental,
political and social determinants of health, with a
focus on the nature of health disparity.
The East-West Center (EWC) and the University of Hawai'i
at Mānoa (UHM) offer the joint interdisciplinary
program leading to the graduate certificate in global
health and population studies (GHAPS). First established
in 1969 as a graduate certificate program in population
studies, the program has subsequently undergone modifications
in 2009 to incorporate the component of global health
in its name and curriculum. The mission of the program
is to promote scholarship in the field of GHAPS, to
develop evidence-based practical solutions, and to promote
health equity through accessible and interdisciplinary
education, training and research, as well as community
service and partnership.
With a systemic approach, the GHAPS program explores
the relationships between changes in the contemporary
world and population health processes and outcomes.
More specifically, the program examines the effects
of globalization, global environmental change, macroeconomic
policy and culture on issues such as fertility, morbidity,
aging, mortality, population growth, mobility, and migration.
Each subject is approached from an interdisciplinary
perspective with an emphasis on policy-oriented study
and research.
Given the location of UHM and EWC and the expertise
of their faculty and staff, the GHAPS program places
special emphasis on health and population policies and
issues of importance in the Asia-Pacific region. The
program's curriculum draws on the strengths of its interdisciplinary
faculty representing disciplines such as public health,
sociology, demography, economics, tropical medicine,
geography, anthropology, political science, and urban
and regional planning.
Upon completion of the program, students are expected
to be able to:
| • |
Demonstrate mastery of the core theoretical
concepts and issues in the field of global health
and population studies, |
| • |
Communicate both orally and in writing at a high
level of proficiency, |
| • |
Conduct research or produce other creative work
related to the field of global health and population
studies, and |
| • |
Function as a professional in a GHAPS-related
discipline. |
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